


Existing Is Just Enough

by Polluxous



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22917868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polluxous/pseuds/Polluxous
Summary: “For now though, while the holy embers gradually dies from the heaven’s grasp with warmth crawling away from this side of the world, soon to be replaced with the darkness’s cold embrace, this time will be the moment that will be made as a constellation for Ophiuchos and Toksotis. To be told by the stars who had witnessed their dead souls of yesterdays: It is a part of the story about how they, the star crossed lovers, survived and will get their soft epilogue.”
Kudos: 1





	Existing Is Just Enough

**Author's Note:**

> A Valentine’s Day themed short story for my college creative writing class, using the characters from my personal novel series project, Apotelesma.

Fire remains still in the empyrean, its passion redder than blood, yet it exists gently as dripping honey, slowly spreads across the upper realm from the bled out sun, inevitably dying while the day is about to meet its final chapter. There will be a moment as always for the moon to rise so these weeps and prayers from Earth can be caressed under its silver light, touching them with blessings the wolves would seek of during the deadliest nights.

  
For now though, while the holy embers gradually dies from the heaven’s grasp with warmth crawling away from this side of the world, soon to be replaced with the darkness’s cold embrace, this time will be the moment that will be made as a constellation for Ophiuchos and Toksotis. To be told by the stars who had witnessed their dead souls of yesterdays: It is a part of the story about how they, the star crossed lovers, survived and will get their soft epilogue.

Ophiuchos is the one who invited Toksotis to their dinner for Valentine’s Day. With their centuries spent in this world, they are quite familiar with the human traditions and beliefs. Though in the past, love did not cross their mind since they had no one. No one to create a universe with their memories. Immorality was such a lonely experience to have, but eventually, they met many entities like Toksotis, and that was when they realized love was not a myth after all.

It was real.

While Ophiuchos fixes their ties near a table that is covered with delights in cooked meals and divineful drinks, anxiety sleeps deeply between their ribcage and every light in them is dying. Although they are aware of what are the human customs in romance, they had never performed them before. They are the being of pride, the serpentine deity with golden starless eyes and hot veins ever raging with venom— how can they fall to his doubts over this so easily?

“Ah, Ophiuchos! You look wonderful!”

At the cheerful call, Ophiuchos looks up to meet Toksotis before them and their breath gets nearly taken away by the sight of the living masterpiece— _their_ living masterpiece. Toksotis stands by the door with great confidence, something Ophiuchos longs to have in this situation as well, wearing a suit that matches the colour of his white curly hair. With plumped cheeks and brown eyes shimmering with stars, he smiles in a way that everything does get better.

Ophiuchos melts, remembering how: Toksotis had softened them. He always will.

“I can sssay the same about you, Toksotis,” mutters Ophiuchos as they look away from him, blushing furiously. Not even a second of Toksotis arriving, and already, they're in a slurring mess. They touch their face to find any scales present on them, but only feels the tenderness of their human skin. They sigh in relief and glances back at Tokstois. “Um...” They awkwardly gesture at the empty chair on the opposite side of the table. “Pleassse, take a seat and enjoy.”

Toksotis grins at them and takes his chair before they start serving themselves right away in delight. It has been only a drop of food on their polished plates when a loud creak tears across the reality. Everything quivers for a brief moment until silence takes over the area once more. Both Ophiuchos and Toksotis jump in their seats at the sudden sound, forgetting where their dinner takes place. Toksotis shoots Ophiuchos a funny look and huffs.

“On a _floating_ sailing ship though? Quite a romantic place,” sarcastically comments Toksotis.

Ophiuchos rolls their eyes. “To have a wonderful moment on this special day, the sky should be only ours for the night.” _It is our turn to make our own constellation._

Toksotis chuckles, glancing around the ship. Ophiuchos stares at him and notices the nostalgia in his eyes. Bright as it appears he is recalling the fondful memories that took place here. Ophiuchos wonders what he is remembering, but in the end, distracted by his beauty, their gaze falls to his lips, and before they know it, their own lips meet his. Between them, a spark is formed. Toksotis holds their hands and the spark evolves to fire, filling them with the kind of warmth they would find in a home.

They both pull back, and Ophiuchos feebly smiles at the thought. _Home_. Certainly, he is his home.

“You are magnificent, Toksotis Iter,” they state, their voice tender and touching to the other’s soul.

Toksotis blushes, taking his glass and raises it. “You are magnificent too, Ophiuchos Experientia.”

***

  
  
After their small meal, the flames across the sky have died. The constellation lovers would find the black sheet that is adorned with the stars and moon, watching them deeply connected in a slow dance as _Saturn_ by Sleeping At Last plays quietly in the background. Both of their arms are on each other’s shoulders, their foreheads against each other while the warmth yet remains in themselves. In a time like this, it feels like nothing matters except for them.

“Dearest, even on this special day,” speaks Toksotis after a moment of only the song playing to the rhythm of their gentle heartbeats, “You still won’t... take your sunglasses off?,” he asks, curious and careful.  
  


Ophiuchos blinks at him and their chest tightens. “I just...” The words fall so easily from them, abandoning his mouth in a taste of ashes and stardusts. It burns to speak. To admit their fear to the entity who bears a big heart and is willing to use his shoulders as a shield. “I don’t want to unsettle you,” they whisper. They don't wish to, but not wanting to see the change on Toksotis’ face, they look away. “Not during a time like this.”

“ _Ophiuchos_ ...” Disbelief washes over Toksotis’s voice, his own name heavy on his silver tongue. He stares at them for some seconds before he sighs. Even when it sounds so soft, almost like a caress to Ophiuchos’ cheek, they flinch, the sound still managing to break their heart in the end. Toksotis shakes his head. “Don’t be so foolish, you snake. We’ve known each other for eons, by now, you should know how much I adore _every_ little part of you.”

Toksotis tries to place his hand over their cheek, nearly touching their sunglasses, but Ophiuchos holds him; not for comfort, but to stop him. “ _Don’t_ ,” they warn, their tone snapping to the throats, “I have told you this many times before: I am not like you or anyone else. I’m the tales of sins and disorders told in only whispers. The reason why any species does not listen to one and another of their own kind and their deities, and the source of—“ their voice cracks at his next choice of word, “— _damnation_.”

The wooden floor trembles beneath Ophiuchos as they speak in despair, though it is them who is shaking. Their world is on them, and it is not made of heaven clouds and halo lights. There is just sorrow.

Toksotis gently takes his lover’s hand to his lips, pulling them closer to him, and his kisses fall against the rough skin of his abode, Ophiuchos—his Ophiuchos. The holy and beauty and all of the goodness in between. “I love you,” he whispers against their ear, his voice laces with a promise. “I love you like a hymn and myth and poem. With the cosmic dust to galaxies, I can make a story of how I became a foolish lover to you and a story of how I will always be one for you.”

His lips are then on Ophiuchos’, and with a shaky sigh from the other, Toksotis is allowed to take more of them as they give his whole body to him, for they now know he will only treat it as a temple, his place of worship. Between their tender touches, trust blooms and stains their figures with pretty reds and flushed skin, printing a constellation on each other. Let this moment be the tale behind their marked stars, the blessed makings of adoration that they will wear to the universe with polaris crafted pride.

“Just teach me how to pray with your name,” says Toksotis, “And I will be yours forever.”

When Ophiuchos pulls back, they stare at him in utter shock, overwhelmed with the shower of love he has given to them. Something so rare. _This is love_ , they think. _This is truly what love is_ , they _know_. They flinch at the thin coldness forming across their cheeks, and they realize they are tears. They are crying, and they are not punished for it. Instead, Toksotis slowly takes their sunglasses off and after he tucks in their pocket, he meets their eyes that belong to a serpent, and simply kisses them again, and again, and again.

In between their love made of heavenly honey and starlight, Ophiuchos attempts to say something— anything for his beautiful kind words. Although through their mind full of continuous loud ringing, nothing can be found for them to offer. In their silence, there is violence, but Toksotis only embraces it with more kisses anyway. In the end, Ophiuchos lets themself be taken freely under his arms and make a silent wish to the stars that they will never be separated. Not this time. Not ever after before.  
  


The universe watches them as they continue to love each other under the sky full of stars, accepting them as they are when they do not need to give a reason or proof. They are already more than enough for simply existing, and that miracle can never be taken away from anything and anybody.

“ _With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite. How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist._ ”


End file.
